Steps to Seek a Religious Accommodation in a Florida Workplace

Job applicants and employees in Florida employment contexts have various protections against discrimination under state and federal laws. When it comes to religious discrimination, the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 both prohibit religious discrimination in hiring and employment, which includes ensuring that job applicants and employees have reasonable religious accommodations. Both the FCRA and Title VII apply to private employers with 15 or more employees, as well as public employers.

If your religion requires you to dress in a particular way that would not comply with workplace dress codes, or requires certain break times for religious practices or religious holidays, you may be entitled to a religious accommodation under state or federal law. What do you need to do if you want to seek a religious accommodation as a job applicant or an existing employee? Consider the following information from an experienced Palm Beach Gardens religious discrimination attorney at Sconzo Law Office.

Understand the Definition of “Religion” 

Before you seek a reasonable religious accommodation, it is important to understand how religious protections and accommodations work. First, you should understand that the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which handles federal claims under Title VII, clarifies that a person’s protected religious beliefs may be connected to their practice of a recognized religion, but other conceptions of “religion” are also included. As the EEOC clarifies, “the law protects not only people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical, or moral beliefs.”

Learn About Possible Religious Accommodations 

Recognizing that the term religion is interpreted relatively broadly, it is next important to understand what the law means when it refers to a reasonable religious accommodation. According to the EEOC, a reasonable religious accommodation is an “adjustment to the work environment that will allow an employer to practice his or her religion.”

Request the Accommodation

Next, you will need to request a reasonable religious accommodation from your employer. If your employer is covered, you might expect types of accommodations such as change in a job shift or schedule, modifications to workplace practices, or modifications to workplace policies such as a modification to the dress code.

The EEOC explains that covered employers must “reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause a burden that is substantial in the overall context of the employer’s business.”

Contact Our Palm Beach Gardens Religious Discrimination Lawyers 

If you have questions about obtaining a reasonable religious accommodation as a job applicant or employee, or if you were denied a reasonable religious accommodation, one of the experienced Palm Beach Gardens religious discrimination attorneys at Sconzo Law Office can assist you. We can answer any questions you have about religious discrimination and your rights in a Florida workplace, and we can begin working with you on a claim if you were denied a reasonable accommodation. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0760/Sections/0760.01.html

eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination